Game-exclusive Pokémon, also known as version-exclusive Pokémon, are Pokémon that are only found in one or two games within a particular set, to encourage trading between players. For example, between Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Mawile appears only in Ruby, while Sableye appears only in Sapphire. Therefore, a player with Sapphire would not be able to obtain Mawile in-game and could trade with a player of Ruby to obtain one, and vice versa. Game-exclusive Pokémon usually complement each other in design, type, and location in the wild.

It is typical for several evolutionary families of Pokémon to be game exclusives in the first two games of a set, and then in the third game, some (but not all) game-exclusives from the first two games will be obtainable while some Pokémon that could originally be in both of the first two games will be unobtainable in the third game. For example, the Weedle and Koffing families were obtainable in both Pokémon Red and Blue, but unobtainable in Pokémon Yellow.

A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in the specified game while white background means that it cannot.

Mixing records with a player of a different game allows Pokémon outbreaks to be transferred between the two games. This allows for Surskit swarms to be transferred from Ruby or Sapphire into Emerald, and Seedot and Nuzleaf swarms to be transferred from Emerald into Sapphire.

Wild Banette are exclusive to Sapphire, while wild Dusclops are exclusive to Ruby, but both Shuppet and Duskull can be found in either versions, and can evolve to Banette and Dusclops respectively.

Normal Forme Deoxys is exclusive to Ruby and Sapphire, while Speed Forme Deoxys is exclusive to Emerald, but Deoxys is not obtainable in any of these games without an event.

A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in the specified game while white background means that it cannot.

When Genesect is holding a Drive, the light on its cannon changes color. The Burn and Shock Drives are exclusive to Black, while the Douse and Chill Drives are exclusive to White.

While Cottonee and Petilil are only available in the wild in Black and White respectively, there is an in-game trade in Nacrene City for the Pokémon which is exclusive to the other game. By extension, this also allows Whimsicott and Lilligant to be obtained in the versions they are otherwise unobtainable in.

While Volbeat and Illumise are only available in the wild in Black and White respectively, Illumise can breed with any male Pokémon in the Bug Egg Group, Human-Like Egg Group or Ditto to produce Eggs that have an 50% chance of hatching into Volbeat. Likewise, breeding Volbeat with Ditto may produce Illumise Eggs.

Wild Huntail are exclusive to Black, while wild Gorebyss are exclusive to White, but Clamperl can be found and evolved in both games.

A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in the specified game while white background means that it cannot.

These Pokémon's fully evolved forms can be encountered and battled in Black City, which is exclusive to Pokémon Black, but are uncatchable there. Also, each game has a limited number of Pokémon species and need to connect to other players in order to increase that number. Only the first forms are obtainable in White Forest.

A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in the specified game while white background means that it cannot.

Similar to Black and White, while Cottonee and Petilil are unavailable in the wild in White 2 and Black 2 respectively, an in-game trade on Route 4 allows players to obtain the one that is exclusive to the other version. It also allows players to obtain Whimsicott and Lilligant in versions where they would be otherwise unavailable.

As in previous games, wild Huntail are exclusive to Black 2 while wild Gorebyss are exclusive to White 2, but Clamperl can be found and evolved in both games.

When Genesect is holding a Drive, the light on its cannon changes color. The Burn and Shock Drives are exclusive to Black 2, while the Douse and Chill Drives are exclusive to White 2, like the original games.

White 2's counterpart to the ShinyGible given away by Benga is a Shiny Dratini; however, Dratini's evolutionary line can be caught in the wild in both versions, whereas the Gible line cannot.

Normally unavailable, Regice and Registeel can be caught in Black 2 and White 2, respectively, after trading the necessary key from a game which has unlocked them. Initially, Regice's key is unlocked in White 2, and Registeel's in Black 2.

In the spin-off games

As trading is not possible between these games, the listed Pokémon will appear in the wild only when a rescue mission involving the Pokémon is completed. This requires a Wonder Mail Code from the alternate version, in which the Pokémon is normally found.

A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in the specified game while white background means that it cannot.

In the anime

For the first time in the anime's history, two different versions of a movie were released. Victini and Zekrom features the Victory Pokémon Victini and the Deep Black Pokémon Zekrom, while Victini and Reshiram features Victini and the Vast White Pokémon, Reshiram. Much like the games, there are Pokémon that are exclusive to each movie.